Suction cleaner



July 16, 1946- H. NUFI'FEIR ET AL SUGTION' CLEANER I Filed Nov. 24, .1945

3nventors f 4 nu) hall? (Ittorneg Patented July 16, 1946 w w I 1 sucrrroN CLEANER j, V 7 Joseph H. Nuflr; Toledo, Ohio, and Lynn H,

Latta,Los'Angeles;-Calif.,assignors to Air-Way" a H 4. Electric ApplianceCorporation, Toled0,.0hio,-=v1 wr a'vcorporation of Delaware brkipplication November 24, 1943, Serial No. 511,525

-' This invention'relates to'suction cleaners of the type iii-which the filtering and suction units 4 'are'botli en'close'd within a rigid housing through which a dustladen' airstream is lead through a flexible suction 'hose ffrorn "a cleaning tool.

object of the invention 'isto -pro'duce asuction cleaner of this type whereinthe filtering u'nit' is'vertically disposed and the hose is connected to the housing'insucha position as to attain maximum efiiciency'in the conveyance of a'du'st "laden air stream to the filtering and collecting units; and "yet "the center of 'gravity of the entire body of the cleaneris' sufficiently low and the weight-is sufficiently distributed hori- 'zontally so that the cleaner body may be dragged about by the suction hose without being tipped ovrby the pull of the hose. =Another'0b'jet of'the invention is to provide a cleaner'wherein' the space within a streamlined housing, such asfifor' example a tear drop shape, 'is utilized so as to obtain maximumjcornpactness. w The present invention is directed particularly to the problem of converting a cleanerof the type'above indicated, into a blowing device, and has as a particular object, to produce an arrangement wherein" the insertion of a hose coupling to' a blower outlet will automatically close the --,2 Claims." (01. 230133) normal discharge aperture of the fan and provide v for the concentration of the discharge at: the

blower outlet. f I w v Afurther object' is to produce, in a'va'cuum cleaner of the type indicated, a suction unit having anormally diffused, sound muflled outlet and having means whereby this norinaloutlet can be 1::

closed and the discharge concentratedfor delivery to a blower attachmenuandwherein this conver- "sion may be made simply by inserting the blower attachment hose connection into the blower outlet of the cleaner. V

-' A still further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner with a blower outlet having a closure member which is self-closing andwhich is adapted to be opened by the pressure of a blower connection thereagainst.

eOther objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation. an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a vacuum cleaner embodying the invention;

FigureLZ is a partial sectional view showing the .blower coupling connected the suction unit; l

to the/discharge of 2 I. I :,I t: 11"": Figure 3 is a plan view ofthe blower outlety Figured is a side elevation of th'e cleaner; and

N Figure 5 is a fragmentary'sectional-view showing'the valve disc in open position. T 1 1 As an-example of one form in which the invention may be embodied,-we' have shown 'inthe drawing the'body portion'of a suction cleaner embodying a "suction unit l0 and filtering-unit lz mountedside byside upon a base 14. I A cover- IG cooperates with the base to form' a housing defining a chamber H in which 'thesuctionvand filtering units 10 and I2 arelenclosedh The cover I6 i hinged to the-base I 4 by mea'ns of a hinge l8. The base M has an upwardly offset portion 22 and a raised porti'onfl24 extending rearwardly from the offset portion ZZQthe hinge l8 being formed at the rear end'of the raised portion 24. The cover is held'inits 'closed position by latches 26; one on either side thereof emd has at itlower rear extremitya tail portion '28 extending below the'lhinge l8 and adapted, when the cover is raised to an upstanding position," to engage the 'under side of the raised portion 2 4 ofthe baseso as to support the cover in sition;

l2 will be substantially completely'exposed above the base l4 for-servicing operations as, or ex'- ample; removal andreplacement of thecar-bon brushes iw of thesu'ction unit 10, or removal of the screws 32lby means of whichthe suction unit I 0 is a'ttachedtto supporting brackets 34 or 35,;

The'fi'ltering unit i-2'includes' a receptaclef20, a perforated liner 36 encircling and'supporti'ng the lateral wall of the receptacle, and a tubularcasing '38 encircling and spaced from the liner 36. At the upper end of the casing 38,is an aimular channe1 40 in which is mounted a packing ring 42 of compressibleumaterial 'suchas,

for example, soft rubber; andrthe receptacle,

which is preferably of porous paper so that it may be disposed of when filled, is provided at its upper end: witha non-porous flange 44 resting upontheipaoking'ring.42; i c r The coverrlii is formed withgan :48; carries a sealingring,- f56 of compressible me,-

such upstanding 'poannular t ns ing flange '46 adapted-to clamp the-flanges I against the packing ring :42; and with aft delivery The top member--52vmay be moved and replaced by a fresh receptacle.

' Formed in the cover I6 is an inlet 58 which is g relative .to the body of the cleaner.

'tached the fan casing .94.. V

the-motor casingl8 is provided, with an inlet '15 terial such as softfrubber. which is adapted. to

seal the nozzle to the top 52. The parts are so arranged that the sealing of the nozzle 48 to the top 52 and the clamping of the flange 44 against the packing ring. 42 is. effected by moving the cover 16 to a closed position and latching it in that position. Conversely, the raising of the cover [6 to the vertical position uncovers the'filtering unit so that a filled receptacle 2!) may bereconnected to the nozzle 48 by a short duct 69. A'

tion' tube 66 having on one end a suitable connector swivel to permit swiveling of the tube 66 means ,'such as a latch 69 may be employed for connecting the hose tothe inlet 58in such man-' 7 .ner as to form a draft connection by means of which the cleaner body maybe pulledaround at the endof thetube 66. J r

The casing 38. of the filtering unit 12 is mounted at its'lower. end on an'annularflange 19 formed integrally with the base l4 and constituting on end of aduct 12*adapted to apply suction to the lower endof the casing 38, which is rearwardlyas at 13, and mounted in the duct portion 13 is a short length of tubing 14 of yield- .able. material, such as soft rubber. w c g 7 i The suction unit Ill includes an electric motor 54 The other endoff having'a casing: to one'end of which is atto: which the flexible tube 14 is connected as shown. 'Encircling and secured to the casing 18 is an annular vibration absorbing mounting 80, which is attached 110 the brackets" 34 and 35 by the screws 32 as previously stated, and which thus forms the meansior mountingthe suction unit upon the base M, the bracket 34 being se-.

cured directly to the base I4 and the bracket 35 being secured to one side of the'filter unit casing38. =The suction unit In isadapted to vibrate about the center of the mounting 80,'with the soft rubber tube 74 permitting the lower end" of the motor casing 1-8 to vibrate without transmitting such vibrations to the base M.

The suction unit 19. is arranged on an axis which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the duct'portion 13. An important advantageof this arrangement lies in the fact that it provides for maximum closeness of coupling between erend of thefllter casing 38, thus increasing the sliction-efiiciency of the cleaner. A further ad-. vantageof the arrangement arises from the disposition-'of the fan housing 84 at such-an angle asto" make available for it a space of maximum "extentinthe plane of its radii. This provides 7 the" necessary space for accommodating the f shroud and discharge valve mechanism which will T nowbe described;

4 a s i normally discharged through a sound mufliing hood 8'! into a chamber 88 defined within a shroud 89. The shroud 89 has an inturned flange 90 secured to the flange 85 of thefan housing, and an outturned flange 9|v to which is secured an annular valve seat92 of soft rubber or the like.

Between the valve seat 92 and the flange 9| is secured a screen 93 oi wire cloth or'perforated Y metal. The valve seat 92 is vulcanized to the flange 9| and secures thescreen 93 in place.

Mounted in the flange 9| and projecting through the valve seat 92 is a series of pins '94.

' cleaning tool (not shown) is adapted to be con nected to the filtering unit 12 by a. flexible suc- Suitable A valve disc 95 hasa plurality of apertures free- 1y receiving the pins 94. Thus the valve disc is mounted for bodily movement toward and away from the valve seat 92 while supported for slid-. ing movement on the, pins 94. 'A plurality of light 7 coil springs 96, mounted on the pins 94, are interposed between the valve disc '95 and the 'seat 92 and serve normallyto maintain the valve disc 95 spaced away from the seat 9260 as toprovidean annular discharge opening through which the exhaust from the suction unit to may be discharged in all directions.

Thescreen 93 supports the mufliing'hood lll-against-being distended into contact with the valvedisc'95. The airnoises produced ;by thelpassage of the discharge through. 'thefopeningstfi is muflled' as V the air passes through the hood 81 and is fur- 'ther muflled by a dispersal of the discharge man directions in a thin flat stream through theannular discharge aperture between. the valve disc 95 and the seat92. v

In'the center of'the valve disc 95 is a neck member 91' which isadapted to receive a blower and coupling member 68d on the end of the hose member a. The couplingffiild may be'provided with a latch element 69a adapted tii'icooperatei with a discharge outlet 98 in th'e cover l6 so as to hold the coupling 68a securely in contact with the neck member 91, with the valve disc 95held snugly against the valve seat 92., a

It maynow be noted that" the 'insertionrof the coupling 68a through the blower outlet 98 and the pushing of the coupling snugly against the neck member ST, serves to close thenormal I discharge opening and to concentratethe fandischarge'at the blower coupling. In addition, the

insertion of 'thecoupling serves to open a plurality of segment shaped "closure .members'99 3 which are hinged as at J to the casing; I 6 around V the inlet 16 of the suction unit and the open low- 7 i The fan housing 84 is in the form of two stamp V 'ings secured together by annular flange means 85. In the outer stamping is a series of discharge bpenings 86. From the openings-86 the air is r [the periphery of theblower'ou'tlet 98, the enclosure members 99 being simply pushed aside. by the coupling 68a as it is pushed through the blower outlet 98. The closure members 99*are returned totheir closed position shownin Figures 1 and 3 by means of light spring members [01.

It is to be understood'that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement andoperation may be efiected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is: l r r 1. In a suction cleaner, a housing having a blower outlet, a suction unit in said housin having a fan casing provided with a normal discharge aperture, a shroud providing a discharge cham-' be:- into which said aperture discharges; an outturned'peripheral seating ledge on said shroud; a substantially fiat valve disc providing the outer wallfor saidshroudand adapted to'seat against said ledge, and resilient means interposed between said disc and, ledge; normally m intaining a spaced relation between said valve disc and said seating ledge, said disc having a blower discharge 54 opening aligned with said blower outlet, where 2. In a suction cleaner as claimed in claim 1, by said suction unit normally discharge through wherein said resilient means comprises spring elesaid blower discharge opening and the space bements interposed between said ledge and said tween said valve disc and said seating ledge, said valve disc, and pins serving as guides for the blower outlet being adapted to receive a blower I movement of said disc.

attachment coupling extended therethrough and I into contact with said valve disc for moving said JOSEPH H. NUFFER. disc into sealing engagement with said ledge. LYNN H. LATTA. 

